First Look: Camera Zoom for iPhone
Filed under: Software, iPhone, First Look, App Review
The iPhone’s built-in camera is a prime target for improvements. We’ve seen iPhone cases with built-in wide-angle lenses, iPhone cases with zoom lenses, and a plethora of apps to manipulate photos. Camera Zoom (click opens iTunes) is a new US$0.99 app from KendiTech that provides a 4x digital zoom for your iPhone camera.
Camera Zoom displays a preview in real time, just like the regular camera app. You use a slider to adjust the level of zoom. After taking the photo, Camera Zoom tweaks it for the best possible quality.
For those of us with “real” digital cameras, the ability to zoom the iPhone’s camera is nice. However, the picture quality of a digital zoom is never as good as you’ll get with an optical zoom lens. As you can see with the example photos above, the zoomed image tends to be grainy. This is particularly true in low-light conditions. If you can put up with the degraded picture quality, Camera Zoom is an inexpensive way to add zoom capabilities to your iPhone.
I’m surprised that Apple approved this app, since the icon is titled “Camera” just like the real Camera app, and it duplicates the functionality of the Photos app as well. The latter isn’t done very well, since you can’t flick the screen to move between pictures in the camera roll.
This is version 1.0 of this app, however, and it’s a good start to what could be an easy-to-use photo manipulation tool for the iPhone platform.
First Look: Camera Zoom for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
First Look: Camera Zoom for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Capsuleer 2.0 for iPhone helps you track EVE Online status
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Multimedia, Developer, iPhone, App Store, App Review
Massively has a good look at an iPhone app that’s a must-have for players of the space-based multiplayer EVE Online — Capsuleer 2.0 isn’t an actual client, but like the desktop app EVEMon, it allows you to monitor and track your EVE pilots from outside the game. It’s also got skill queues built in (unlike other MMOs, EVE allows you to have your pilots level even while you’re away from the game, so most of the strategy in leveling actually comes in choosing the next skill to work towards), a skill library, more pilot details, and even a mini-RSS feeder, incorporating a few popular blogs from around the EVE blogosphere.
The two developers of the app tell Massively that their biggest issues in developing the app were mostly by way of the limits CCP (the company behind EVE Online) places on what third-party apps can do with their info.. Most of the things they can’t do are built into the game itself, and so it makes sense that a certain amount of functionality can’t leave the game client (or else people might never log into the game). The app is currently free in the App Store right now, and the devs aim to keep it that way, but just recently added ads to the mix from the game’s official magazine to cover server costs and bandwidth.
Finally, they say they’re excited about the possibilities with iPhone 3.0 — notifications are mentioned, and of course it would be cool to get a popup reminder every time a pilot is about to hit a skill. They’re also working on a way to provide stats about the ingame Faction Warfare. Sounds cool — EVE Tracker is still another possibility if you want to follow your EVE progress on the iPhone, but it looks like Capsuleer adds even more innovation to the mix.
Capsuleer 2.0 for iPhone helps you track EVE Online status originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Capsuleer 2.0 for iPhone helps you track EVE Online status originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Let your tweets incubate with Birdhouse for iPhone
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, iPhone
Twitter is many things to many people. Some folks use it to keep up with friends or the latest news; others make it their primary tool for online coversation. There exists, however, within the throng of Twitter users, a group of people who use Twitter as the stage from which they deliver their own special brand of humor.
For these types, a tweet isn’t something that’s typed and quickly posted a few seconds later — it’s a chance to make his/her followers chuckle. To that end, they take great care to ensure that each tweet is finely honed and worded to deliver the maximum amount of gag within the 140-character limit. Birdhouse is an application for these people.
Dubbed by its creators as “A Notepad for Twitter,” Birdhouse isn’t your typical Twitter client. Instead of reading, replying to and favoriting your buddies’ tweets, it focuses on composition. Got an idea for a really hilarious joke? Plug the idea into Birdhouse, then come back to it when you have time. Tweak and refine it until you’ve got just what you want, and hit publish.
There’s no hard limit to the number of drafts you can keep at once, and it maintains a timestamped history of all of the tweets you’ve published. You can rate each message using a 5-star system, and it also allows you to email yourself a complete list of all pending and published tweets in case you’re staring at the business end of an iPhone restore and you don’t want to lose that truly golden mom joke you’ve been working on.
Birdhouse [App Store] is available now for $3.99US.
Let your tweets incubate with Birdhouse for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Let your tweets incubate with Birdhouse for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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HP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion
Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
HP is reporting that they’ve updated the software for the HP MediaSmart Server to provide video streaming to remote devices.
We covered the introduction of the MediaSmart Server at Macworld Expo 2009. The device is a Windows-based media server that also works with Macs. Now the system can convert videos, including unprotected DVDs, to both a high-resolution version that streams to Macs and PCs on a network and a lower-resolution version that can be played on iPhone and iPod touch.
To view the video streams, access your pictures, and listen to the music collection stored on the MediaSmart Server, you’ll be able to download an iPhone / iPod touch app called iStream for free from the App Store. At publication time, the app was still pending approval by Apple.
HP announced that the updated software also provides an improved Time Machine configuration, a better HP Media Collector, and the ability to have both public and private albums in the Photo Viewer. The MediaSmart Server ex485 (750 GB of storage) retails for US$599, and the 1.5 TB ex487 sells for US$749. The device can be expanded to a maximum of 9 TB of storage.
HP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
HP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Debunk: Jailbroken apps on a non-jailbroken iPhone? Not quite
You may have seen some reports today about a new app from Ripdev called InstallerApp, which some people have mistakenly been covering as a desktop client that lets you install Cydia and Installer apps without having to jailbreak your iPhone using something like PwnageTool. Just to set the record straight, here’s the deal: InstallerApp is a kind of jailbreaking tool (let’s call it “jailbreaking lite”) coupled with a separate application management client for your computer. From what we can tell, the first thing it does is jailbreak your device (or, if you’re already jailbroken, installs some additional software so it can talk to your phone). In no way is it allowing you to install non-Apple-approved apps onto a non-jailbroken phone: it’s tweaking your underlying system to allow for those apps to run, and giving you an iTunes replacement to add and delete programs on your device. Keep in mind, RipDev is charging $7 for this, which isn’t a bundle, but not free either… unlike PwnageTool and QuickPwn, which essentially do the same thing (minus the desktop client). We’re not saying it’s not a useful app — it might be to some — it just isn’t the “get out of jail free” solution that you may have heard it is. And now you know… which is half the battle.
Filed under: Cellphones
Debunk: Jailbroken apps on a non-jailbroken iPhone? Not quite originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on!
We’re not saying how, but we got hooked up with the beta of iPhone OS 3.0. Overall, things feel about the same until you flick left that extra time and hit the Spotlight screen, which works just as advertised. It’s definitely a beta, though: it’s laggy all around and some things don’t work, like taking a photo directly in the MMS app. We took some quick snaps, check ‘em out below and let us know what you want to see in the video!
Update: Added a few snaps of the landscape keyboard in Messages and Mail, anything else?
Gallery: iPhone 3.0 hands-on
Filed under: Cellphones
iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Grand Tour for the iPhone is a grand exploration of the solar system
Filed under: Cool tools, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
I admit I have a real love for astronomy and other science apps. Mike Smithwick, the creator of Distant Suns [App Store link] has come up with another winner for the space minded. Grand Tour [App Store link] is a $4.99US application that will let you tour the solar system in very smooth and realistic animations. Named after the NASA Voyager missions* of the ’70s that explored the outer planets, Grand Tour will let you move to Mars, explore its two moons, and then shuffle off to Jupiter, Saturn and beyond. The program beautifully renders the starry background accurately, as well as presenting the Milky Way.
The app is loaded with information about the planets and moons, and with a flick of your finger you can rotate the planets and see their relationship to the sun and their satellites in real time. You can also speed up or reverse time, illustrating the orbits of the planets and their smaller companions.
Another nice touch is when you look at the earth, the images of the clouds are in real time (updated every 3 hours) so you are pretty much seeing the real thing in the palm of your hand.
I still marvel at how esoteric iPhone apps are getting. There is truly something for everyone, and the ability to hold a scale model of our solar system and interact with it would have seemed like science fiction a few years ago. Thank goodness Apple decided to bless real apps last year. The experience offered by programs like Grand Tour would really have been lame as a web app.
Grand Tour runs on the iPhone and iPod Touch with OS software 2.1 or greater.
* One of our readers correctly points out that the original NASA Grand Tour missions never happened, because of deep budget cuts. Many of the ideas from the mission were incorporated into the Voyager missions. Thanks for the clarification Mark.
Check out the gallery for some screen shots.
Gallery: Grand Tour
Grand Tour for the iPhone is a grand exploration of the solar system originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Grand Tour for the iPhone is a grand exploration of the solar system originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Skype for iPhone goes live in Japan
When they said “Tuesday,” they meant it. Not long ago, the clock struck midnight in the Land of the Rising Sun, and sure enough, the bona fide Skype application (v1.0.0.63) for Apple’s iPhone has gone live. It’s absolutely free to download, and early reports from Japan have been pretty stellar in regard to sound quality. We’re fully expecting it to roll out elsewhere as Tuesday (March 31st) arrives in various time zones, so make sure you (and at least one Skype buddy) stay up late to try ‘er out. [Warning: iTunes read link may not work for all time zones yet.]
[Via Engadget Japanese]
Gallery: Skype for iPhone goes live in Japan
Filed under: Cellphones
Skype for iPhone goes live in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Skype App coming to iPhone on Tuesday, Blackberry in May
It’s legit; Skype is coming to the iPhone on Tuesday, BlackBerry devices in May. While we’ve seen plenty of Skype-capable apps on the iPhone, the poor, often echo-infected calls should be easily bested by the official Skype App that doesn’t need the extra audio transcoding workaround required by the existing crop of unofficial apps. The Skype app works over WiFi only (not over EDGE or 3G data) and supports calls to SkypeOut contacts in addition to many of the other features you’ve used from the desktop client. iPod touch owners will require earphones with an embedded mic to talk. CNET has a hands-on preview of the App just as long as you can muster the energy required to hit the read link below.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Filed under: Cellphones
Skype App coming to iPhone on Tuesday, Blackberry in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple uses a jailbroken iPhone in patent application
Uh oh Apple — it looks like even your attorneys are dirty, thieving jailbreakers. Tipster a|e§ was poring through that iPhone biometric security patent application we posted earlier and noticed that the images show a jailbroken phone, complete with Installer.app, SMBPrefs, and the iWood Realize theme from the iSpazio repository. We’re guessing the fine folks at Kramer, Levin Naftalis & Frankel are going to have some ’splainin to do on Monday morning — but at least they get to run apps in the background.
Update: To those of you saying that this is in reference to one of the claims of the patent, we’re not so sure — there’s no reason for Apple to use images of a jailbroken phone to make that specific point. Remember, somebody drew this picture, they didn’t have to use these specific icons or this theme to illustrate Springboard variations.
[Thanks, a|e§]
Filed under: Cellphones
Apple uses a jailbroken iPhone in patent application originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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